Office-indicator for mail-boxes.



B. IAHN. I OFFICE INDICATOR FOR MAIL BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 5,-49f3.

Pategted MM'.14,1916;

' Bari ad hm WITNESSES ATTORNEY nmuummsln: .uno. mum m c srarns ATENT OFFICE.

,Bm'moml Jana, or new BRITAIN, connncr'rcun. v

amines. I I

Specification of Letters Patent.

orrroE-nvmoaron ron Ma n-Boxes. I I

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

original application iiled December 7, 1909, Serial 30. 531,818. Divided ami'this application filed Decenfluu' 1 5, 1913. Seria1 No.804,946..

To all whom'z'tmay concern: 7

Be it known that I, BERTHOLD JAHN, .a;

citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Office-Indicator for Mail-Boxes, of which the followingis a specification.

The invention relates to an oiiice indicator for mail boxes, and is a division of an application filed by me Dec. '7, 1909, .Serial No.

531,818 for an ofiice message box, patented -De'c. 5, 1911, No. 1,010,916.

- The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of ofiice indicators, and to provide a simple, inexpensive and "efficient device designed for use on mail boxes, message boxes, and the like,.and operable only from the interior for indicating the presence or absence of the owner, or

other information desired to be-imparted to patients, clients, or other atrons.

With these and other 0 jects in' view, the

invention consists in the. construction and novel combination'of partshereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claim to without departing from the spirit or sac- 1 'rificing any of .the advantages of the invenhereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion,

size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claim, may be resorted tion.

In the drawing:Figure 1 is an elevation of'a combination'mail and message box provided with an oflice indicator, constructed in accordance with this-invention,- Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view through the front portion of the box. Fig. 3 is a trans verse sectional-view on the line'33 of Fig.

'2.' Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on 'the line 14 of- Fig. 3.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the 'figures of the drawing.

1 desi nates a combination mail and message box, constructed as set forth in the aforesaid application. and patent and provided at the lower portion of its front with a circular'dial receiving recess 55, formed by-an outwardly projecting annular'bead or flange 56, adapted to receive a disk orplate 57. of glass, or other transparent material, covering the dial receiving recess. and retained in place bya rim 58, secured on the annular flange or bead by lugs 58? and extendmg over the .transparent plate or disk 57. The lugs 58 extend through kerfs or slots at' the front of the casing, and are clenched against the inner face of the same, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

A clockdial 59 is placed in the recess and hour and minute'hands or pointers 60 and 61 cooperate with the hour and minute graduations of the dial. The hour hand or pointer 60 is mounted on a'sleeve 62, having a head 63 at "its inner end and equipped with spring arms 64, which frictionally engage. the inner face of the front wall of the box. The minute hand 61 is mounted on a shaft or arbor 65, extending through the sleeve 62 and equipped at its inner end with a head 66. A coiled spring 67 is disposed on the I shaft or arbor 65 and is 'interposed between the head 66 thereof and the head 63 of the sleeve. The spring arms 64 and the coiled spring 67 serve as frictional means for securing the hands 60 and 61 against accidental movement. -The front ofthe combination mail and message box is also provided at opposite sides of the center'with horizontal slots or apertures 68 and 69, pref erably surrounded by beads and having the metal bent to form grooves 70 for the rebut the'indicators may bear any other information. Each rotary indicator is mounted on a central pivot 75, and it is provided at opposite sides with integral lugs or projections 76, adapted to be grasped by the operator in rotating the indicators. The

lugs or projections are struck up from the 1-05 metal of the rotary indicators and are arranged at right angles to the inner faces thereof. The pivots 75, which may consist of rivets or other suitable fastening devices,

receive spring plates 77 having resilient arms 78, yieldably engaging the rotary in- 15 a receptacle,

dicator and adapted to hold-the same, or rather the paper disks 74 in frictional engagement with the casing, whereby the rotary indicators are retained atanyadjustment. The rotary indicators areadapted to be adjusted only from theinterior, may be set to leave various messages for patients,.clients or other patrons calling at an oflice. The front of the box preferably bears the word Mail and a suitable door 7 ,9- isarranged at one side of the box.

What is claimed is A device of the class described including a dial mounted on the outer face of one of the walls of the receptacle, a

and they sleeve extending through such wall, and provided within the receptacle with a head and having spring arms engagingthe inner-face ofthe said wall, a shaft extending through the sleeve and having an interiorly arranged head, hands, or pointers arranged on the sleeve -and"the shaft, and a coiled spring mounted on the shaft and interposed between the heads of the shaft and the'sleeve.

' In testimony, that I claim the foregoing asmy ow ,,-I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two wltnesses.

BERT-HOLD JAHN. witnesses:

- A; -J. BEATON,

J. FpPnnsormn; 

